Psalm 96: from naturally declining polytheism to exponentially expanding monotheism (chaos)

 Psalm 96: from naturally declining polytheism to exponentially expanding monotheism (chaos)

Before Abraham, about 3700 years ago, there was Sumer (polytheistic), the inventor of writing, about 5500 years ago. So far, Sumer seems the origin of Western history. Their city-states had either a king or a priest-leader, but either way, citizens worked for their economic survival and to serve their city-gods. Some gods were common to the cities and thus to the Sumer civilization.

So far, humankind does not know where the Sumerians came from. They had black hair, light skin, and various eye colors. They kept and ate domestic animals, including pigs. They raised grains, especially barley and made beer from it. Human sacrifice happened, for example, to serve deceased royalty in their tombs. Sumer political philosophy was that male and female civic people rule on earth and flourish in service to the gods. The gods were co-existing forms for what humankind had not discovered. For example, Shamash, Sumer’s sun god is now known to be a natural nuclear reactor. In other words, as human discovery progressed the system of gods could have, might have dissipated, gradually relieving citizens of the gods-burden.

Sumer was conquered by Semitic-speaking peoples. Semitic-speaking Terah, with son Abraham, left Ur to escape human sacrifice to the gods. Scribes benchmarked human-progress under the creator in Genesis 1:26-28, then in Genesis 2 joined competitive monotheism, introducing Adonai, seemingly representative of their God, Yahweh. Israel branched 4 generations from Abraham and struggled to terminate human sacrifice, suffering in the 4 generation past Isaac.

When Christianity joined competitive monotheism, Yeshua (Jesus) represented The Father in providing a savior, not of necessary goodness but of souls, under the Holy Spirit.

A couple years ago, aided by Nomads Sunday school, I recognized that my life has been guided by Yeshua’ civic influence, regardless of divinity-school-competitive-monotheism.

I pursue human being (a practice). I think we may and can understand how to pursue human being, because the consequences of human action are constrained. We can observe our own experiences, read about the past, and share with fellow citizens to learn how to not deserve restraint. Meanwhile, we can aid discovery of the benefits of life on earth and its extensions. The more I comprehend consequences of past choices, the better my opportunity to aid “ourselves and our Posterity” in the pursuit of necessary goodness. Thus, choices made between 8000 and 4000 years ago are important to me, if for no other benefit than to help me comprehend choices made from 4000 years ago until now.

In religion, I want to associate with civic humankind. “Civic” means pursuing reliable responsibility to necessary goodness. When necessity seems unclear, humility may often prevail. I do not want anyone to follow my motivation and inspiration. However, I do wish to converse with fellow citizens and learn opinions that could improve mine. If anyone chooses a path similar to mine, I will celebrate my opportunity to improve.

I am grateful that we studied Psalm 96 on 12/29/24, when UBC sang carols and discussed Yeshua at age 12 having conversation that impacted adults in church. I hope both adolescents and adults enjoyed the message.

Psalm 96 was a hymn by David celebrating establishment of the tabernacle in Jerusalem. Hebrew singing is available on YouTube. The King James Version makes it a celebration of Jesus’ birth; also available online. I read CJB for Yeshua’s civic influence and for historical perspective.

From the Complete Jewish Bible CJB. (The King James Version is “O sing a new song unto the Lord”.)

^96:1 Sing to Adonai [NIV, the Lord] a new song!
Sing to Adonai, all the earth!
² Sing to Adonai, bless his name!
Proclaim his victory day after day!
³ Declare his glory among the nations,
his wonders among all peoples!

⁴ For Adonai is great, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared more than all gods.
⁵ For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
but Adonai made the heavens.
⁶ In his presence are honor and majesty;
in his sanctuary, strength and splendor.

⁷ Give Adonai his due, you families from the peoples;
give Adonai his due of glory and strength;
⁸ give Adonai the glory due to his name;
bring an offering, and enter his courtyards.
⁹ Worship Adonai in holy splendor;
tremble before him, all the earth!
¹⁰ Say among the nations, “Adonai is king!”
The world is firmly established, immovable.
He will judge the peoples fairly.

¹¹ Let the heavens rejoice; let the earth be glad;
let the sea roar, and everything in it;
¹² let the fields exult and all that is in them.
Then all the trees in the forest will sing
¹³ before Adonai, because he has come,
he has come to judge the earth;
he will judge the world rightly
and the peoples with his faithfulness.

 

[I think Genesis 1:26-28 informs humankind to flourish in necessary goodness rather than accommodate badness and allow evil:

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.

Acceptance of the power, authority, and responsibility to rule on earth is human being (verb). Human-beings pursue necessary-goodness to actual-reality. The rest of the Bible discloses the chaos that ensues if most individuals choose wanton behavior -- neglect the laws of physics and progeny, e.g., biology and psychology.

The civic collective cannot rule if most fellow citizens practice/accommodate badness and allow evil.

Political and religious philosopher Yeshua affirmed Genesis 1:26-28, e.g. in Matt 5:48 (be as perfect as goodness), 18:18 (don’t expect error-correction), and 19:4-6 (don’t divide/lessen goodness). 

Today there are more than 8,000 religions and 45,000 Christian sects on earth. Today is time for individuals to accept the power, the authority, and the responsibility to practice civic integrity. “Ourselves” may either continue to leave reliable responsibility to “our Posterity”, referring to the preamble to the US Constitution, or practice necessary goodness.

Notes re modern perspective:

1.      Since monotheism is a human construct, I use “The God, whatever it may be”, to express objection to any doctrinal God yet reserve humility.

a.      Blue highlight is to emphasize the pronoun usages, our and we.

b.     Perhaps the “we” infers an androgynous pair, like a married couple

c.      It seems human choice may and can conform to the laws of physics.

d.     Yet human inspiration and motivation are driven by goodness

e.      When goodness is uncertain, humility prevails.

2.      Scholars understand that humankind in its present mutation is Homo sapiens (HS)

a.      Distinguished by brains with synapses and neurons with speed and capacity to handle exponential complexities

b.     Indeed the dominant species on earth and extensions

c.      Yet HS is challenged-to, perhaps will-not, control earth as much as possible

d.  Unfortunately, after 200,000 years, sexual-attraction dominates society.

3.      The rest of the Holy Bible expresses the validity of Genesis 1:26-28:  Humankind may and can but does not choose to rule on earth.

a.      Genesis 1 predates the existence of Israel by at least 1500 years.

b.     About 2000 years have passed since Yeshua lived.

c.      Yet war in the Middle East threatens humankind’s opportunity.

d.     It seems time to pay more attention to primitive thought – psychological and civic discovery during the period 8000 years ago to 4000 years ago.]

 

John 1: Has consumer capitalism displaced the Word?

 

John 1: Has consumer capitalism[1] displaced the Word? Nomads don’t seem to think so.

Guide: CJB emphasis in bold (CJB online), text in green; NIV in magenta ; Nomads* discussion in yellow; and my comments in gray. I use endnotes to cite outside literature or extensive comment.  

*Participative Sunday-school-class at UBC led by Ken Tipton. My continually improved statement about Genesis 1:26-28 is at the end of this. Today, I perceive that Paul’s letters to early churches preceded the 4 gospels and refute Genesis 1:26-28. I prefer Yeshua’s civic influence and discourage Pauline arrogance.

Major concerns from John 1

1.        “In the beginning was the Word . . .” expresses mystery on mystery. Does “the Word” precede The God? In time, by necessity, or other basis? Does an infant desire goodness before they pursue The God? Once necessary goodness is the intention, does mystery play a role? Does The God relieve the mystery? See V38.

2.        I support open-minded and openhearted Sunday school. And I think maintaining a list of interpretations of “the Word” would aid imagination, which is necessary for discovery. See a starter list in yellow highlight after V5.

3.       In several instances I think CJB increases comprehension, such as,

a.      V3 “nothing . . . had being” suggests activation of what was created

b.     V12 I prefer “trust in his person and power” rather than believe in his name.

c.      V13 The God draws the person to the V12 trust [and commitment] yet the person must respond.

d.     V14 human being (noun) is more than flesh [and blood].

e.      V16 I prefer humility on humility.

4.       Is John the Baptizer a projection on to Jewish scripture? Is Yeshua the mediator for both Old Testament and New Testament Gods?

a.      V15 and other details about 6 month older John the Baptizer seem trivial.

b.     V23 projecting John onto Isaiah phrases but equating Adonai and Yeshua.

5.       V9, light “to everyone entering the world”. If an infant is never informed about Yeshua, what light does he or she possess? The potential to choose necessary goodness?

6.       V14, what if The God’s grace is humility and The God’s truth cannot be avoided or changed or resisted? Can canon stand the test of time?

7.       V17, Yeshua said he came to fulfill the law.

8.       V18, Yeshua’s psychology rather than flesh images The God.

9.       V31, why to Israel only; see V29.

10.   V34, why not The God incarnate?

11.   V38, I prefer “What are you looking for?” I think human beings want to know how to practice necessary goodness: arrogance must be acquired and nourished.

12.   V49-50. I doubt Yeshua, political philosopher to humankind, accepts demotion to “King of Israel”.

The CJB text follows with some NIV phrases:

^1:1 In the beginning was the Word[2],
    and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God.
²     He was with God in the beginning.

³ All things came to be through him,
    and without him nothing made had being was made that has been made.

⁴ In him was life,
    and the life was the light of mankind.

⁵ The light shines in the darkness,
    and the darkness has not suppressed it. [V1-5 literally describes “the Word” as with God, God, creator, activator, life, light, and overcoming dark. But what is “light”? Is it a metaphor for knowledge; goodness[3]; wisdom; power; authority; responsibility; self-control; awareness?]

⁶ There was a man sent from God whose name was Yochanan John. ⁷ He came to be a testimony, to bear witness concerning the light; so that through him, everyone might put his trust in God and be faithful to him. ⁸ He himself was not that light; no, he came to bear witness concerning the light. [Is this projection of John the Baptizer onto Isaiah 40:3-5 and Malachi 3:1?]

⁹ This was the true light,
    which gives light to everyone entering the world. [What does every newborn possess? Is it opportunity to think in self-reliance? Can their opportunity be constrained by the infant’s caretaker(s) and environment? If the caretaker imparts hate, can the infant discover and adopt appreciation then develop goodness? Is goodness so necessary that it attracts “everyone entering the world”? Does “die young” mean died before they appreciated necessary goodness?]

¹⁰ He was in the world — the world came to be through him —
    yet the world did not know him.

¹¹ He came to his own homeland,
    yet his own people did not receive him.

¹² But to as many as did receive him, to those who put their trust in his person and power believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³ not because of bloodline, physical impulse or human intention, but because of God born of God.

¹⁴ The Word became a human being flesh and lived with us,
    and we saw his Sh’khinah [glory],
the Sh’khinah of the Father’s only Son,
    full of grace and truth. [Is this “grace” humility, and does “truth” need the modifier ineluctable (together unavoidable, unchangeable, and irresistible)?]

¹⁵ Yochanan witnessed concerning him when he cried out, “This is the man I was talking about when I said, ‘The one coming after me has come to rank ahead of surpassed me, because he existed before me.’” [Chronologically, John was about 6 months older. What is the chronology of soul-mystery? If I have a soul rather than just a person, how old is it?]

¹⁶ We have all received from his fullness,
    yes, grace upon grace.  Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. [I like the suggestion that I can pursue humility on par with The God’s humility.]

¹⁷ For the Torah was given through Moshe;
    grace and truth came through Yeshua the Messiah. [In Nomads I learned that James thought Moses’ law and Yeshua’s influence were both critical to salvation in life; I think Yeshua agreed with James. And in Acts Paul argued Christ saves elect souls in the afterdeath. And Hebrews 9 mystifies God, Christ, and blood. I doubt all of it, preferring necessary goodness in life through discussing Yeshua’s civic influence to the current generation.]

¹⁸ No one has ever seen God; but the only and unique Son, who is identical with God and is at the Father’s side — he has made him known.

¹⁹ Here is Yochanan’s John’s testimony: when the Judeans Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent cohanim and L’vi’im priests and Levites from Yerushalayim to ask him, “Who are you?” ²⁰ he was very straightforward and stated clearly, “I am not the Messiah.” ²¹ “Then who are you?” they asked him. “Are you Eliyahu?” “No, I am not,” he said. “Are you ‘the prophet,’ the one we’re expecting?” “No,” he replied. ²² So they said to him, “Who are you? — so that we can give an answer to the people who sent us. What do you have to say about yourself?” ²³ He answered in the words of Yesha‘yahu the prophet, “I am

The voice of someone crying out:
‘In the desert make the way of Adonai straight!’”^{[Isaiah 40:3, “A voice cries out:}

^{“Clear a road through the desert for Adonai! Level a highway in the ‘Aravah for our God!”]}

²⁴ Some of those who had been sent were P’rushim Pharisees. ²⁵ They asked him, “If you are neither the Messiah nor Eliyahu nor ‘the prophet,’ then why are you immersing baptizing people?” ²⁶ To them Yochanan replied, “I am immersing people in water, but among you is standing someone whom you don’t know. ²⁷ He is the one coming after me — I’m not good enough even to untie his sandal!” ²⁸ All this took place in Beit-Anyah Bethany, east of the Yarden Jordan, where Yochanan was immersing.

²⁹ The next day, Yochanan saw Yeshua coming toward him and said, “Look! God’s lamb! [Carrier of blood for sacrifice per Hebrews 9.] The one who is taking away the sin of the world! ³⁰ This is the man I was talking about when I said, ‘After me is coming someone who has come to rank above me, because he existed before me.’ ³¹ I myself did not know who he was, but the reason I came immersing with water was so that he might be made known to Isra’el. [Why not to the world as in V29?]” ³² Then Yochanan gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove, and remaining on him. ³³ I myself did not know who he was, but the one who sent me to immerse in water said to me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining, this is the one who immerses in the Ruach HaKodesh Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴ And I have seen and borne witness that this is the Son of God God’s Chosen One.” [Why not God incarnate?]

³⁵ The next day, Yochanan was again standing with two of his talmidim disciples. ³⁶ On seeing Yeshua walking by, he said, “Look! God’s lamb! [blood sacrifice per Hebrews 9]” ³⁷ His two talmidim heard him speaking, and they followed Yeshua. ³⁸ Yeshua turned and saw them following him, and he asked them, “What are you looking for? What do you want?” They said to him, “Rabbi!” (which means “Teacher!”) “Where are you staying?” ³⁹ He said to them, “Come and see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and remained with him the rest of the day — it was about four o’clock in the afternoon. ⁴⁰ One of the two who had heard Yochanan and had followed Yeshua was Andrew the brother of Shim‘on Kefa Peter.

⁴¹ The first thing he did was to find his brother Shim‘on and tell him, “We’ve found the Mashiach!” Messiah” (that is, the Christ) (The word means “one who has been anointed.”) ⁴² He took him to Yeshua. Looking at him, Yeshua said, “You are Shim‘on Bar-Yochanan Simon son of John; you will be known as Kefa Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).” (The name means “rock.”)

⁴³ The next day, having decided to leave for the Galil Galilee, Yeshua found Philip and said, “Follow me!” ⁴⁴ Philip was from Beit-Tzaidah, the town where Andrew and Kefa lived. ⁴⁵ Philip found Natan’el and told him, “We’ve found the one that Moshe wrote about in the Torah, also the Prophets — it’s Yeshua Ben-Yosef from Natzeret!” ⁴⁶ Natan’el answered him, “Natzeret? Can anything good come from there?” [This could be as innocent as the village having only about 200 inhabitants, mostly Aramaic-speaking.] “Come and see,” Philip said to him. ⁴⁷ Yeshua saw Natan’el coming toward him and remarked about him, “Here’s a true son of Isra’el — nothing false in him!” ⁴⁸ Natan’el said to him, “How do you know me?” Yeshua answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree[4], I saw you.” ⁴⁹ Natan’el said, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Isra’el!” ⁵⁰ Yeshua answered him, “you believe all this just because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than that!” ⁵¹ Then he said to him, “Yes indeed! I tell you that you will see heaven opened and the angels of God going up and coming down^{[Genesis 28:12, “He dreamt that there before him was a ladder resting on the ground with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of Adonai were going up and down on it. ”] on the Son of Man!”]}  [This seems a typical projection of the person Yeshua onto the writer’s opinion about Old Testament opinion.]

[John 1 reminds me of evidence that affirms Yeshua’s sincerity in saying, “Before Abraham was born I am” (John 8:58). Perhaps Yeshua mysteriously revealed himself to Agathon, 500 years before Yeshua was born.[5] Or perhaps “the word” is necessary goodness. And that brings to mind the Euthyphro Dilemma.]

[My opinion is that Genesis 1:26-28 informs humankind to flourish in necessary goodness rather than accommodate badness and allow evil:

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.

This, the conclusion of the first chapter of the Holy Bible informs Today that humankind may and can rule on earth. Acceptance of this power, authority, and responsibility is human being (verb). Human-beings pursue necessary-goodness to actual-reality. The rest of the Bible discloses the chaos that ensues if most individuals choose wanton behavior -- neglect the laws of physics and progeny; progeny reaches psychology.

The civic collective cannot rule if most fellow citizens practice/accommodate badness and allow evil. It’s a matter of personal choice: either pursue human being (verb) or yield to evil.

Political and religious philosopher Yeshua affirmed Genesis 1:26-28, e.g. in Matt 5:48 (be as perfect as goodness), 18:18 (don’t expect error-correction), and 19:4-6 (don’t divide/lessen goodness). 

Today there are more than 8,000 religions and 45,000 Christian sects on earth. Today is time for individuals to accept the power, the authority, and the responsibility to practice civic integrity. “Ourselves” may either continue to leave reliable responsibility to “our Posterity”, referring to the preamble to the US Constitution, or practice necessary goodness.

Notes re modern perspective:

1.      Since monotheism is a human construct, I use “The God, whatever it may be”, to express objection to any doctrinal God yet reserve humility.

a.      Blue highlight is to emphasize the pronoun usages, our and we.

b.     Perhaps the “we” infers an androgynous pair, like a married couple

c.      It seems human choice may and can conform to the laws of physics and progeny

d.     Yet human inspiration and motivation are driven by goodness

e.      When goodness is uncertain, humility prevails.

2.      Scholars understand that humankind in its present mutation is Homo sapiens (HS)

a.      Distinguished by brains with synapses and neurons with speed and capacity to handle exponential complexities

b.     Indeed the dominant species on earth and extensions

c.      Yet HS is challenged-to, perhaps will-not, control earth as much as possible.

                                                             i.      Remarkably after 200,000 years, sexual-attraction dominates society.

3.      The rest of the Holy Bible expresses the validity of Genesis 1:26-28:  Humankind may and can rule on earth, hoping to control it.

a.      Genesis 1 predates the existence of Israel by at least 1500 years.

b.     About 2000 years have passed since Yeshua lived.

c.      Yet war in the Middle East threatens humankind’s opportunity.

d.     It seems time to pay more attention to primitive thought – psychological and civic discovery during the period 8000 years ago to 4000 years ago.]

 

---

[1] https://ifl.web.baylor.edu/sites/g/files/ecbvkj771/files/2022-11/ChristmasArticleHeinz.pdf

[2] Nomads briefly discussed the meaning of “the Word” and Yeshua (the person who is media-hidden as Jesus) was among the suggestions. It seems obvious that knowledge, goodness, and wisdom existed before they were discovered. The writer of the mysterious-phantasy of Hebrews 19, in V15, calls Yeshua mediator rather than grantor of the will that terminated the covenants and negated the tabernacle on earth. V14 suggests the Holy Spirit, and V17 suggests The God died to complete the will that replaced the covenants.

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euthyphro_dilemma : The Euthyphro dilemma is found in Plato's dialogue Euthyphro, in which Socrates asks Euthyphro, "Is the pious (τὸ ὅσιον) loved by the gods because it is pious, or is it pious because it is loved by the gods?"If “pious” means “devout”, perhaps “loved” means “cherished”. In my life, I appreciate necessary goodness.

[4] The fig tree, 80 million years old, is featured in Greek and other mythical traditions. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syceus and https://folklorethursday.com/folktales/five-reasons-fig-trees-folklore-royalty/#:~:text=Fig%20trees%20%EE%80%80feature%EE%80%81%20in%20%EE%80%80origin%20stories%EE%80%81%20from .

[5] http://faculty.sgc.edu/rkelley/SYMPOSIUM.pdf “[AGATHON SPEAKS] The previous speakers, instead of praising the god Eros, or unfolding his nature, appear to have congratulated mankind on the benefits which he confers upon them. But I would rather praise the god first, and then speak of his gifts; this is always the right way of praising everything.” The rest of the speech reminds me of Yeshua.